Finding Unique Ways to Use Kessler Products – Stop Motion using the KC Complete & Revolution Head

Finding ways to achieve unique shots sometimes requires some ingenuity. In the video above, GuerillaByte Media think outside the box in order to accomplish their concept. We had a chance to talk with them about how they used Kessler gear to capture their shot. Below is an excerpt of the interview.

Kessler University (KU): Tell me a little about yourself.

Sean Patrick McAuliffe (SM): I have been obsessed with film for as long as I can remember. My first introduction to DSLR’s was a 1Dmk2 issued to me by the United States Marine Corps during my deployment as a Reconnaissance Marine. (I joined pre-9/11 for the experience and education benifits, not a war hawk : ). Since then I have acquired multiple degree’s in audio and visual media production and have produced and directed a few short films that I have just started putting into festivals. During my studies in Australia I met Benjamin Jones and we started GuerillaByte Media Resources together with the intent of assisting independent or Guerrilla filmmakers. I am also currently starting a non-profit that assists artists of all kinds turn their ideas into a reality.

KU: Tell me a little about the project itself.

SM: This particular shot is to be used in all stop motion commercial for Auswise.com.au produced by Oliver Claude Buckworth (artist, filmmaker and owner of Byron Film Productions). When he told me about the all stop motion concept we decided it was a perfect opportunity to test out the automated crane idea. The basic idea of the commercial is the items packing themselves up to be delivered as an internet order. Auswise only offers Australian made products and so some brands are highlighted in the commercial. We are planning multiple time lapses around Australia using this rig along with stop motion productions in the future.

KU: I like the uniqueness of the setup. Can you tell me a little more about the shot / setup?

SM: I designed the shot initially to have a pixar quality to it. This meant we had to control the focus as smooth as the movement. The idea was to keep the shopping list spinning close to the center of the shot until the motion of the items on the shelves entered the frame.

The setup is quite simple, we balanced the KC Complete to be slightly heavier on the operator end to keep very subtle tension on the cable attached to the Cineslider. We used a pulley and carabiniere to direct the cable from the Cineslider to the Crane. Once this was done we programed the movement of the Cineslider to control the height of the camera and then the Revolution Head’s movement independently. We used the stop motion setup in the Oracle and animated each item and lights between photographs. The focus pulling was done by hand with very subtle movement.

KU: What was it like using the Kessler Gear for this shot?

SM: We have only had the Kessler gear for a few weeks at GuerrillaByte and so far I love working with it. The durability and module capabilities seem unmatched for the price range. As a fan of engineering I must say that Kessler has really set the bar high with there products. Easy to use and modify.

KU: What can we expect next from you?

SM: Currently I am putting together some webisodes of aboriginal survival techniques in the Australian bush, such as fire by friction, setting snares, and finding water and food. Many time lapses and footage utilizing the Kessler gear are used in the production. We will be posting a pilot on Kickstarter with the intent of producing a series that applies survival and self sustaining techniques to city life. On top of that we have two fairly unique music video’s in preproduction that will be dependent on some of the Kessler products we have.

I also have a time-lapse and slow motion production company that I have just started called Time is Happenin’ each of the nano productions you see on this channel are done before we recieved our Kessler gear. However, I have many new ones produced with the Cineslider and Revolution Head that will be released as soon as the sound design is finished.

GuerillaByte founders Benjamin Jones(standing) and Sean Patrick McAuliffe(sitting)